Sizing apparatus.



Patented Feb.'25, 1919. I

G. SYKES.

SIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATiON FILED NOV-19.19IT.

B M 5 n MY 6 R m \N w) mf Q 7 \k A N GEORGE SYKES, OF PEIN'BYN,CALIFORNIA.

SIZING AEPPAIPATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Application filed November 19, 1917. Serial No. 202,694.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon SYKes, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Penryn, Placer county, State of California, have invented acertain new and useful Sizing Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to apparatus for grading fruit in accordance withits size.

An object of the invention is to provide a sizing apparatus which isadjustable to distribute the predominating size of fruit over j groupvary and it is an object of this vide means for concentrating varyingareas.

Another object of the invention is to provide a small sizing apparatuswhich is adjustable to accommodate diflerent predominating sizes offruit.

Another object of the invention is to proat one point all fruit which isgreater in size than the predominating size.

The invention possesses other advantageous features some of which, withthe foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following descriptionWhere I shall outline in full, that form of the invention which I haveselected for illustration in the drawmgs accompanying and forming partof the present specification. In said'drawings I have shown one specificratus of myv invention, but it is to be under stood that the invention,as expressed in the claims, may be embodied in a pluralityof forms.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan or top view of th apparatus of my invention, partthereof being broken away to disclose the construction.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the apparatus taken on the line 2- 2, Fig.1.

The apparatus of my invention is much shorter than the various forms ofsizing machines heretofore generally used and is adapted to be adjustedto grade fruit of different sizes, the adjustment being made to securethe sizing of the predominating size of fruit. Any fruit, such asapples, for instance, occurs in many different sizes, but as a generalrule, as the fruit is brought in to the packing house from the orchard,it will be found that most of the fruit will be of approximately thesame size, with some running smaller and a few larger. The sizes ofthe'pieces of fruit in the predominating appaform of the appabevelededges overlying the ropes.

. and at the ends pass ratus to grade the fruit which occurs in thepredominating group. Fruit from different orchards or from differentparts of the same orchard. varies in size, so that the range of sizesoccupied by the predominating group varies and the present apparatus isadjustable to accommodate the various predominating group sizes. Forinstance, the great majority of the fruit may vary from 3 inches to 3%inches in diameter the sizer may be adjusted to divide this fruit intothree groups of 3, 3i and 3:}; inch size. All fruit of smaller size is'not graded and all fruit of larger size is collected together theadjustment of the apparatus.

The apparatus comprises a suitable frame 3 upon which are mounted thecross members 4. Mounted on the cross members and extending for thelength of the frame are the outside conveyer guides 5- 6 and secured tothe cross members 4 and extending for the length of the frame is thestringer 7 upon which is secured the central conveyer guide 8.- Theupper surfaces of the conveyer guides lie in a horizontal plane and theinner edges of the outer guides are spaced from the outer edges of theinner guide, forming a slot between each outer guide and the innerguide. At the upper edges-of their adjacent surfaces the guides areprovided with longitudinal grooves which serve as seats for the conveyerropes 12, 13, 14, 15. The ropes are preferably held in their seats byclamping plates 16 secured to the guides at intervals and having Theropes extend for the length of the guides over the sheaves 17 and backthrough the frame below the guides. .The sheaves 17 are secured to thedrive shaft 18 which is rotated in any desirable manner, as by thepulley 19, to cause the ropes to travel longitudinally in their seats.The pieces of fruit to be sized are placed on either pair of ropes 1213or 14-15 and are conveyed by the traveling ropes along the apparatus.The adjacent edges of the rope guides, and consequently the ropcs ofeach pair, diverge from each other in the direction of their travel, and

Q measure The outer rope guides and 6 are adedgefil of the dividing wallslopes downjusta'bly mounted on the frame 3 so that ward-.from the bar31, to the edge of the they may be moved transversely, either to bin, sothat the wall can be readily swung. vary their angle with respect to thecentral while there is fruit in the bins, and this 5 rope guide 8 or tovary the distance between edge is preferably rounded so that the fruit70. the pair of ropes forming a conveyer unit.' may readily ride overthe 'wall when the The guides are provided with transverse Wall isswung. slots 21 through which extend the-bolts 22 Supported above theconveyers is a longiwhich are secured in the frame. By loosentudinallyextending table 85, upon which ing the nuts 23 on the upper ends of theboxes or other articles may be placed. 7 75 bolts, the outer guides may.be readily moved I claim: 4 to adjusted positions and clam ed in such 1.In a fruit sizing apparatus, a pair of positions by tightening the bots.associated normally stationary grooved Arranged on opposite'sides of thehead guides diverging from each other and exend of the apparatus aresupports 24; for tending longitudinally for the length of the 80 theboxes or baskets of fruit to be sized, and apparatus, means foradjusting the relation the operators stand adjacent the head end of saidguides whereby the distance beextension 25 and place the fruit on thetween them is varied, and ropes movable ropes in that position in whichit is desirable longitudinally in the grooves in said guides.

to sizeit. At the tail end of the apparatus 2. In a fruit sizingapparatus, a pair of 85 the rope guides are depressed or cut awayassociated rope guides having longitudinal at 26 to form an enlargedopening between seats along their edges for the reception of theadjacent surfaces of the guides. The the ropes, said guides beingdepressed at ropes passing these cut away portions are ad acent partswhereby the ropes are unsupunsupported so that they are spread by theported at such parts. 90

fruit thereon and the large-sized pieces of 3. In a fruit sizingapparatus, a pair of fruit permitted to fall through. associated ropeguides, ropes movable lon- Arranged under each conveyer is a troughgitudinally on said guides, and each guide having an inclined floor 27,the upper por- -hav1n g a cut-away portion at which the 80 tion of thefloor occurring under the conrope is unsupported, said cut-away portions95 veyer and being Spaced therefrom a suitable being arranged op ositeeach other. distance to permit the larger sizes of fruit 4. In a fruitsizing apparatus, a conveyer to roll under the outer guides. The flooris from which fruit is discharged at different preferably covered withlinoleum or similar points in accordance with the size of the materialand is preferably waxed so that it fruit, a trough arranged below theconveyer 100 presents a smooth surface to the surface of adapted toreceive said fruit, and walls dithe fruit, thereby preventingdamage tothe viding the trough into a plurality of bins, fruit. At its lowerouter end, the trough is said wall being adjustable to vary the lengthprovided with a narrow slot 28, through of the discharge side of a binwith relation 40 which any dirt or leaves may pass. to the intake sidethereof. 105

The trough is divided into a plurality of 5. In a fruit sizingapparatus, a conveyer bins by the walls 29, which are both angufromwhich fruit is discharged at different larly and longitudinallyadjustable to vary points in accordance with the size of the the size ofthe bin or the size of its intake fruit, and a trough having anoutwardly and and discharge ends. Secured to the frame downwardlyinclined bottom arranged below 111 8 and extending for the length of theapthe conveyer and adapted to receive the fruit paratus is a slotted bar31 and a bolt secured therefrom, the bottom of said trough being to thedividing wall 29 extends through the provided with a narrow,longitudinal slot slot and is clamped to the bar by. the nut at itslower end. p

32. When the fruit runs almost all to one 6. In a fruit sizing apparatuaa conv yer 11 size, the greater portion of the fruit will fromwhichfruit is discharged at difierent drop through the conveyer at onepoint and points in accordance with the size of the collect in one bin.The packers stand at fruit, atrough arranged below said conveyer theedge of the bin and when the fruit runs and angularly adjustable wallsdividing to one size it frequently deposits in the bin the trough intobins. 1i

. faster than the packers can remove it. The 7. In a fruit sizingapparatus, a conveyer angularly adjustable dividing walls of my fromwhich fruit is discharged at diiferent invention permit the length ofthe packing points 1n accordance with the size of the space to begreatly increased, without infruit, a trough arranged below saidconcreasing the entrance size of the bin, therebyveyer,longitudinally-movable walls dividing 11 permitting a greaternumber of packers to the trough into bins, and means for fixing workonone bin. By setting the boards at said walls in angularly-adjustedpositions. diverging angles a bin of increasing width 8. In a fruit.sizing apparatus, a conveyer outwardly is provided for accommodatingfrom which fruit is discharged 21;,(1lff81'6nt 66 thepredominating-sized fruit. The upper points in accordance with the sizeof the 1 10 and substantially triangular shaped angu-' larly adjustablewalls dividing the trough into bins, said walls decreasing in heightoutwardly andv having rounded upper edges.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco,California, .15 this 31st day of October, 1917. i

GEORGE SYKES.

In presence of H. G. Pnos'r.

